Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-11-07
TELEPHONE BURGLARY.

Mr., Bradley was standing not more than
foot from the telephone when it began ring
ing. Instantly applying the instrument to
his ear, and calling "Eello!n he heard some
one voice family back:
aHello Is that l!r. Bradley"
"Yes," he repliea "Who are you"
@Is it Nj. Ranry a. Bradley, of Cotton
Hinsn
gYee. sir. tsqt Is my name and residence.
Who arc yoas'
"You must not be surprised, Mr.. Bradley.
but am u burglar in your house on Cotton
Hill
@What on the living earth do you meanP
AUST what l sav-a burglar in your house
on Cotton Fill, and talking with you here at
the telephone. You are necessarily excited
by this information, but try to compose your
SELF the squealing voice went on.
"Great heavens! Compose myself You
infamous scoundrel, what are you doing in
my house"
"Precisely what have said, Mr. Bradley.
am a professional burglar-I really hope
you will take this quietly. 1t will be to your
advantage, You know; will show you that. y
Il shall take it quietly, you poor sinner, by
starting a squad of police up the hill after
you in less than ten minutes, Say your
prayers for strong legs, for you will need
them more than you ever did before"
"You carnot do it, sir. Listen to me and l
will show you that know all about the situa-
ton. In the first place, your house is the
only one on this hill, except MIR. Boyds, i'm
mediatey across the street. and he is away in
the country for the summer. In the second
place, the nearest inhabited house is half q
mile distant, at the foot OF the hill, and the
nearest telephone except the one in your
neighbor B2yd's is at Winchester five miles off.
Now, know you might ring up the Winches-
ter telephone, but it is long way of, and
besides, there is no squad of policemen there.
should not wonder if the towns single
guardian were asleep somewhere il corner.
Don't You see that know all about the place,
and that YOU had better be persuaded to take
it quietly''
"What in the deuce do you want, anyhow
queried Mr. Bradley, ignoring the question
with which the burglar had ended.
@For one matter, to assure you that am
perfectly well posted in all your affairs, which
will take but few words. You are by
present occupation Mr. Bradley, treasurer Of
the Nonolltauk wooden mills -
"That's correct enough"
"And the SHL of every month you go out
to the mills with $1,000 in greenbacks, done
up in bundle, like groceries, for pay day."
"Yes; we pay our employees monthly"
"You need not be at the trouble of answer
ing; viii 60 right through with the facts Of
the case. As say, the 30th of every month
you go out to the mills. Well the S0th CANT
yesterday; but you missed the Lowell eS
press, which You usually take, and you had
to postpone your trip until to-day. So you
took the local train instead and you CAME
out TO Cotton Hill bringing the money home
with you Then in the evening, when sitting
at supper, you told your wife that you dis
liked carrying the greenbacks so much about
and that you would leave them in the house
until this afternoon, when you would call fol-
them on the way to the mills. Have l beer
correctN
POSSIBLY; but l must tell You that the
money Is not there. 1t will be a great disap
pointment to you, but brought it into the
office this morning"
"Well, well, l will try to bear it. But
listen to the rest of my tale. After supper
you appeared TO hide those greenbacks il
some place upstairs, and this morning, TO
some reason, when you started for Bostol
with your wife, you did not have the bundl
which you brought home with you yesterday
How am 1 to understand that"
"By the use of your reasoning faculty
There are many ways of carrying money"
"My reasoning faculty is Just what trouble
me; the more | reason the more | am con
vinced that the money is here in this house
Of course you viii never admit it withou
some inducement, and therefore have plal
to propose for the adjustment of this Who'll
matter-on q basis of mutual benefit, mean
/ will now state it. My name is Smith, b,
the way"
"Very well, Mr.. Smith. l cannot say tina
l am glad to make your acquaintance.
must say that our present relation seems +
me very unconventional"
Unconventional, Mr.. Bradley, yes, but no
without its Conveniences. Just see. Thougl
burglar in the house, am able, By mean
of the latest refinement of civilized invention
to converse with the very owner himself
who knows all its hooks and corners. Anr
you, also, the owner, are present at an occur
renee of great Importance to yourself, instead
of remaining ignorant until all is over. a
usually happens"
"Oh, well, if you talk in that way. Pra,
how and when did you enter my house, Mr.
Smith, and how AM to know that YOU are
In fact, talking with mo from there, and no
from some other point on the liner
a entered at the rear kitchen window a
soon as | saw you and Mrs Bradley star
down the hill You can easily make sure O
my presence here by asking me some question
about the room.n
Every well. There is small picture owe
the telephone. Can you describe it!
Il can. 1t is an etehing-three mice in
trap. It's by Rajon"
you are undoubtedly on the premises
Yes, there's no question but that you are il
my west sitting room on Cotton Hill. Ant
being sure of the iIlpoSsibility of inter
ruption, since the nearest telegraph station
five miles distant you have feeling that 70,
can take matters comfortably. DO succeed
in grasring your view Of the situationn
Admirably; perfectly
"You say also that you are in communica
ton, by means of the latest refinement O
civilization, as you express it, with the ownel
Of this house, and that |, the owner. am a
good as present at an affair of great import
anoe to myself-though don't zee yet wher
the benefit to me comes in But you hay,
some plan to propose about that"
''Just so; it delights me to hear you TAX
the matter 50 sensibly. Tie truth is, tn
arrangement that have In view will be quit
as much for your advantage az for mine; th
money that is here
"No, no; you are mistaken
On, Of course YOU must protest, Mr.. Brad
hy, but | know thai it Is here, andn-
ALLOW me-we cannot both talk ut ones
and pay the rent for this telephone. It 4
true, indeed, that ] did not bring in bundle
TINS morning, but carried in the greenbacks
quite the same in one of my bootlegs, and
.hey are IN the safe now, so that if the plar
you have to reveal relates to them, fee
quite sure that it will be disappointed.
we shall see-we shall sec. Did under
stand you to say that you carried the green
backs to the city in one Of your bootlegsr'
Yes, sir, in one OF my bootleGs-the left
one" -o,
Il don't want to be inquisitive, but vhsi
grzed boots do you wearin
items"
Tens. | suppose you have three or fou,
pairs of tensl"
u suppose haven
snow, Mr.. Bradley, before entering on thi
conversation with you, spent some time il
making thorough search of your house. ant
as ! was on the lookout for hiding places.
ran my hands into several pairs of shoes. but
curiously enough, did not find single mai
Of boots"
-Ahl l see the inference. But 1 canuo